1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates generally to the field of computers and computer software and, more particularly, to program code conversion methods and apparatus useful, for example, in code translators, emulators and accelerators.
2. Description of Related Art
In both embedded and non-embedded CPU's, one finds predominant Instruction Set Architectures (ISAs) for which large bodies of software exist that could be “accelerated” for performance, or “translated” to a myriad of capable processors that could present better cost/performance benefits, provided that they could transparently access the relevant software. One also finds dominant CPU architectures that are locked in time to their ISA, and cannot evolve in performance or market reach. Such architectures would benefit from “Synthetic CPU” co-architecture.
Program code conversion methods and apparatus facilitate such acceleration, translation and co-architecture capabilities and are addressed, for example, in the co-pending patent applications entitled “Program Code Conversion,” U.S. application Ser. No. 09/827,971.